The input of information into the control unit of a lottery ticket
dispensing machine, for filling of dispensing containers of the machine
with different game tickets, defining a game number for a game provided on
the tickets, a price of the ticket, a total number of the tickets making
up the quantity of tickets and a length of the tickets from a leading edge
of each ticket to a trailing edge thereof is simplified so as to avoid
requiring the service person to enter the information on a key pad as
numerical values. This is effected by providing the information in machine
readable form on the tickets themselves or on a game set up card
associated with the tickets so that the information can be scanned into
the control unit by a reader. Alternatively, the information can be
provided in a simplified coded form for simple input by the service person
into a key pad of the control unit. In a further alternative the control
unit is arranged to communicate with a central data source which provides
the information from the game number manually input by the service person.
